The castle
Living rooms with beautiful decor,
a lodging in the 13th century tower and its secret passage,
princely rooms in the 18th century part...
The Château de Bellignies: 800 years of history
The Bellignies castle, whose tower dates from the 13th century, was taken over by Étienne and Claire de Chambure in 2021. The castle belonged to their great-aunt, Princess Diane de Croÿ. They wanted to take on the challenge of renovating these old and beautiful stones with their young family. Passionate about history, and wishing to host events to bring heritage to life, they have opened the place to the public since 2023.
From the 13th century…
The Bel Tower, built in the 13th century, made it possible to monitor the Hogneau valley, a major river in Ballaisis which has its source in the Mormal forest and which later supplied the marble sawmills. The tower with walls more than two meters thick dominates the village and the river. In the 16th century, the property belonged to the Harchies family: the building then had the appearance of a medieval fortified house with solid stone walls, pierced by loopholes and surrounded by the farmyard. During the medieval period, it was the property of powerful families. Let us cite Jacques de Harchies, who was at the origin of the creation of the parish of Bellignies in 1454 (in the 16th century, the Saint-Barthélémy church was located behind the castle). Then there was the Carondelet family then the Chasteler family.
Du XVIIIe au XIXe siècle
Le château changea d'apparence. L'ancienne forteresse céda la place à un corps de logis central classique percé de nombreuses baies et encadré de deux ailes en équerre. Le parc fut agrandi par la famille de Molembaix. En 1810, le Baron de Molembaix fit déplacer vers le parc du château une pierre appelée "la Pierre Croûte", considérée comme un témoignage rare et précieux du culte gaulois au dieu Bel. Ce transport incongru, réalisé de nuit à la demande du Père Grégoire (Jean-Baptiste Lambiez) nécessita le travail de trente-deux chevaux. Au début du XXème siècle, la Princesse Elisabeth-Marie de Croÿ, de nationalité anglaise et veuve du Prince Alfred-Emmanuel de Croÿ, décide d’acheter le château de Bellignies qui au XVIème siècle avait appartenu à la famille des Croÿ. Elle y fit de nombreux aménagements intérieurs, notamment l'agrandissement des salons. Elle a eut trois enfants dont le Prince Réginald et la Princesse Marie qui feront partie du réseau de résistance des Flandres en 1914, lorsque la région fut envahie durant de la Première Guerre Mondiale.
From the 19th century to the 20th century
In 1914, as soon as war was declared, Prince Reginald de Croÿ took care of financing the Flanders network by traveling regularly to Holland and England. Princess Marie de Croÿ transformed the castle into a Red Cross hospital and organized a network with the aim of helping English soldiers cut off from their units to reach Holland and then their country. These hunted men were taken to the secret hiding place in the tower. These expeditions continued until the arrest of Miss Édith Cavell and then of Princess Marie de Croÿ who was sentenced to ten years in prison. She returned exhausted 3 years later to Bellignies and received the Legion of Honor in the courtyard of the castle.
Towards the 21st century
After the war, Prince Réginald de Croÿ, Belgian ambassador, married Princess Isabelle de Ligne, with whom he had two daughters, Princesses Yolande and Diane. Princess Diane de Croÿ vé lived in Bellignies until her death in 2020.
Princess Isabelle de Ligne is the sister of Claire de Chambure's great-grandmother and, in January 2021, Étienne and Claire de Chambure took over the property. Much work has been undertaken. In 2023, the castle opened its lounges for receptions, two gîtes and guest rooms. Heritage days are an opportunity to discover these places, in a visit led by the owner, who is keen on heritage.